Ammo Testing

[dwalker]

Like a lot of shooters, I have to fly to far away matches, and the 11lb weight limit combined with the costs of shipping ammo means being able to buy ammo at the local sporting goods store or Wal-mart is sometimes the only viable option.Now I know a lot of shooters will just buy whatever is cheapest, on sale, but I like to know what the ammo is going to do in my gun. After all, having spent money on airline tickets, match fees, hotels, etc. only to cheap out on ammo and miss target after target is just not very fun.
Last year I tested a bunch of different ammo after a fellow shooter told me that he had tested a bunch of cheap ammo and found Hornady Steel Match to be the best of the cheap stuff. I did my own test and sure enough, Hornady was very consistent in my rifles.
Now it is time to repeat the tests and see what, if anything has changed. For this test I will be shooting Winchester "Training Ammo" 62gr HP, Federal AR223 "Black Box" 55gr, Fiocchi 55gr, Hornady 62gr Steel Match, PMC Bronze, PMC X-Tac 223, Federal "bulk pack" Wal-mart 55gr, Remington UMC 55gr, and Prvi Partizan 55gr.
I will also be testing the consistency of Hornady Black 75gr Match, Prvi partizan 75 and 69gr Match, and if I can get it in time, IMI 77gr Match.
The rifles use are 18" Nordic and BHW barrels with rifle gas systems using adjustable gas blocks, JP LMOS BCG's and tuned buffers, and maybe a 16" mid length gun if I have enough sample ammo left. I will be shooting the ammo at a sea level 100 yard range as time and weather allows. The test protocol will be 5 shot strings over a chrono and group size recorded. Will post the raw data as its gathered and let you draw your on conclusions.

[milotrain]

You may want to add Creedmoor ammo to your tests. As you might be able to order Creedmoor ammo to the UPS nearest your match. Their 75gr Hornady bullet ammo is supposedly very good.

Also this stuff is really good: http://trophyammo.com/Rifle-Ammunition_c_14.html
I've shot the 75gr in LC brass that he sells and it matches my preferred home made match round.

Amusing comparison:
Black Hills 75gr remanufactured (LC brass, 75gr Hornady bullet) $0.65/Round
TAC 75gr Match (New LC brass, 75gr Hornady bullet) $0.64/Round
Creedmoor 75gr Match (New LC brass, 75gr Hornady bullet) $0.66/Round [Free shipping at 10 boxes]

[Desertdoc]

Or this.

http://www.primeammo.com/

[dwalker]

You may want to add Creedmoor ammo to your tests. As you might be able to order Creedmoor ammo to the UPS nearest your match. Their 75gr Hornady bullet ammo is supposedly very good.

Also this stuff is really good: http://trophyammo.com/Rifle-Ammunition_c_14.html
I've shot the 75gr in LC brass that he sells and it matches my preferred home made match round.

The problem is you cannot always count on being able to walk into a store in Austin Texas or St George Utah or Denver Colorado and find it on the shelf. Shipping ammo somewhere is time consuming and costly. Since it cannot be next day shipped it is not always practical.
And at Surefire in Vegas a fellow competitor had shipped in his ammo and had issues with it, so he had to run to Bass Pro to get what he could get off the shelf. It is very nice to know what ammo will work or not work in your gun off the shelf at Wally world Bass Pro or Cabelas.

[highpower790]

Clean barrel in between testing ammo,if not ,your test wont mean anything.

[dwalker]

Clean barrel in between testing ammo,if not ,your test wont mean anything.

Well to standardize as much as possible I am going to clean the bore, shoot two cold bore shots using the sample ammo, then fire for chrono and group data.

[milotrain]

Where do you see the limit on 11lbs of ammo in a checked bag?

[Scottie15]

Where do you see the limit on 11lbs of ammo in a checked bag?

TSA doesn't limit the weight of ammo, but airlines typically limit it to 11 lbs/passenger. For example, here's the Delta restriction:

The following types of ammunition are not accepted:

Gun powder; such as Pyrodex or Black Powder
Ammunition with explosive or incendiary projectiles
Ammunition, including case, exceeding 11 pounds (5 kg) gross weight per passenger

[Scottie15]

Well to standardize as much as possible I am going to clean the bore, shoot two cold bore shots using the sample ammo, then fire for chrono and group data.

Sounds like a good test. Do you ever find your groups opening up when shooting over a chrono? Are you going to switch out your 3 gun optics for a higher mag scope for the test?

[dwalker]

TSA doesn't limit the weight of ammo, but airlines typically limit it to 11 lbs/passenger. For example, here's the Delta restriction:

The following types of ammunition are not accepted:

Gun powder; such as Pyrodex or Black Powder
Ammunition with explosive or incendiary projectiles
Ammunition, including case, exceeding 11 pounds (5 kg) gross weight per passenger

yeap he is right, Southwest and pretty uch every other airline draws the line at 11lbs of ammo, which is not as much as you would think. Normally that means I take a few boxes of slugs, my long range ammo, and some pistol ammo.

[dwalker]

Sounds like a good test. Do you ever find your groups opening up when shooting over a chrono? Are you going to switch out your 3 gun optics for a higher mag scope for the test?

I am using the Burris 1-8 on my "main" 3-gun rifle and a 1-4 on the others. 1-4 at 100 yards is plenty to get a decent group with from a rest, although I could swap on something else.

I honestly cant say I have ever noticed a change in groups over a chrono, but that does not mean it could not happen.

I am going to be comparing the ammo to my handloads, which in the Nordic barreled "main" rifle and the BHW barreled "back-up" gun is giving me under MOA results at 100 yards. What I am looking for is an off the shelf load that is consistent and shoots as close to the handloads as possible.

[milotrain]

I was asking because I know a lot of guys who travel to the national matches and this doesn't seem to be that big of an issue for them. That seems to be based on two things:
1. 11lbs is 350 rounds of 223, which is not a ton but enough to get you through a big single day or three days of NRA type matches.
2. Someone always seems to drive from our crew so they mule.

[dwalker]

I was asking because I know a lot of guys who travel to the national matches and this doesn't seem to be that big of an issue for them. That seems to be based on two things:
1. 11lbs is 350 rounds of 223, which is not a ton but enough to get you through a big single day or three days of NRA type matches.
2. Someone always seems to drive from our crew so they mule.

Most guys I know who go to nationals in 3 gun have an ammo sponsor who ships ammo for then, have a friend driving to carry it, or so it themselves. That's not always an option when you get wait listed and they approve you 4 or 5 days before the match.


My typical 11lbs is 100 long range 223, two to three boxes of slugs, and a couple hundred rounds of pistol. Blaster 223 is everywhere, but I want to know that when I have to shoot a plate rack at 100 or so yards I'm not going to go 3 for 1 because the 55gr PMC bronze is 3 moa out of my gun.

[milotrain]

All totally reasonable points. As a tangential thought some of us have anecdotal evidence to suggest that the better cut rifled barrels with really attentive chamber jobs are more tolerant of crappy ammo. I'll PM you.